Paying for what we get

Logged on to a computer all day, I thought nothing of clicking my way to www.555-1212.com to find a writer's phone number or try a "reverse lookup," typing in the number of an incoming call I'd missed to see where it originated.

But last week the site asked me to register in order to gain access. One more password to learn. And it introduced a charge: $9.95 a month for "heavy users," defined as those who launch more than 30 searches a month. (Business lookups remain free.)